Players from the British Minigolf Association hold training & coaching sessions and tournaments at the Oslympics multi-sport event in Shropshire.

Minigolf was included as a sport in the ten-day Oswestry Games multi-sport event that took place from the 6th to the 15th July. The British Minigolf Association held a morning of Minigolf coaching and training on Saturday 14th July at the 18-hole Miniature Golf course in the town’s Cae Glas Park before organising a Pro-Am Team contest in the afternoon. On Sunday 15th July the BMGA teamed-up with Mini Golf course suppliers Putterfingers.co.uk to feature a 9-hole course layout for members of the public to play, as well as compete in an Open competition. The BMGA players also held an elite player BMGA Tour event on the course as part of the Oswestry Games Closing Day.

The Oswestry Games, also known as the Oslympics, consisted of over 50 events and more than 30 sports and allowed people in the local area to have-a-go at a number of different sports and compete for Oswestry Games medals.

On Saturday 14th July the BMGA Coaches held training sessions on an Eternit-style Miniature Golf course at Cae Glas Park. Twelve novices joined the training sessions and players were given an introduction to Minigolf, competition rules, playing styles, specialist Minigolf balls and etiquette, along with other ‘essentials’ such as nicknames and hole-in-one celebrations. The Coaching team consisted of Ruth Burke (London Minigolf Club & GB), Marc Chapman (Kent Minigolf Club & GB), Emily Gottfried (Cambridgeshire Minigolf Club & GB), Richard Gottfried (Midlands Minigolf Club & GB), John Moore (Midlands Minigolf Club & GB) and Steve Sturdy (London Minigolf Club).Following the coaching in the morning a team Pro-Am competition was held on the course to put the hints and tips into practice. The winning team in the BMGA Oswestry Games Pro-Am Minigolf Classic consisted of ‘Amateur’ player Chris Powell and BMGA Tour Pro’s Marc Chapman & Steve Sturdy, who scored a total of 87. The win was also the first minigolf tournament victory for St Leonards-on-Sea’s Steve Sturdy.

The silver medallists were Christian Urbano (Amateur), Ruth Burke & Emily Gottfried with a score of 95. The team of Ed Odametey (Amateur), John Moore & Richard Gottfried were third on 101. The medal ceremony at Cae Glas Park was conducted by Jon Hancock from the Oswestry Games Organising Committee.

On Sunday 15th July the BMGA players and Shelley Barrett from Putterfingers.co.uk set-up a 9-hole Mini Golf course as part of the Oswestry Games Fun Day at Oswestry Leisure Centre. Players and clubs from 20 different sports were on-hand at the event. The Fun Day also included an ‘Oslympics 10k’ race, started by former Olympic athlete and Chairman of West Midlands 2012 David Moorcroft OBE.

The Minigolf course was laid out in the centre of the venue with the course layout featuring a number of obstacles including bridges, loop-di-loops & labyrinths and was available for people to play as part of the event’s ‘have-a-go’ activities. Over 100 people played the testing layout during the day and many also received hints and tips from BMGA players. The best score by a member of the public was set at 20(+2) by Chris Powell. The top Pro 9-hole round score was set at 15(-3) by John Moore and later equalled by Richard Gottfried.

Throughout the day an ‘Open’ competition was run to find the best scores in the Adult and Junior Categories. A total of 47 people submitted their scores and the Gold Medallists in each category were two of the returning medallists who had caught the ‘Minigolf bug’ at the Cae Glas Park training session on Saturday!

Chris Powell won his second Minigolf Oslympics gold medal, while Christian Urbano added gold to his silver medal from the previous day’s Pro-Am. Twelve adults submitted their scores to the competition, with 35 also children taking part. People from outside the town had been attracted to compete in the Oslympics 10k race and some of them also played Minigolf at the event with people coming from nearby towns including Shrewsbury, Whitchurch and Whittington, while others had travelled from Manchester and Musselburgh, Scotland.

The BMGA players who had acted as coaches to novice players and ambassadors for the sport of Minigolf also competed in the Oswestry Games and held an elite player BMGA Tour competition. The tournament took place over 36-holes on the Putterfingers.co.uk course. Seven players competed in the BMGA & Putterfingers Oswestry Games Minigolf Championship which saw Luton’s Richard Gottfried win Oslympic Gold. The silver medallist was Newcastle’s John Moore, with Marc Chapman from Canterbury winning the bronze medal.

BMGA Tournament winner Richard Gottfried said “We had a wonderful three days in Oswestry and two great days of coaching events and competitions. I’m incredibly happy to have won an Oslympics gold medal in the BMGA and Putterfingers elite player contest. John Moore and Marc Chapman had a good lead over me heading into the second round but I was able to score nice and consistently on the tricky layout to set the course record and pick up a BMGA Tour victory.”

Richard scored rounds of 40 and a course record 33 to finish on 73(+1) and take the BMGA Tour victory by four shots over John Moore who had scored rounds of 34 and 43 for a 77(+5). Marc Chapman scored 36 and 42 to finish one shot further back on 78(+6). St Leonards-on-Sea’s Steve Sturdy was fourth on 83(+11), with Ruth Burke on 85(+13) and Emily Gottfried on 89(+17). Bury St Edmunds’ Shelley Barrett made her BMGA Tour debut in the contest and finished in seventh place with a score of 129(+57).

Oswestry Games organiser Jon Hancock said “We were knocked out by the quiet efficiency and boundless enthusiasm of the BMGA squad, you brought the Oswestry Games to life with your marvellous Putterfingers course and I was so pleased to see the BMGA team with a podium finish in the Oslympics quiz! Well done to you all.”

Richard Gottfried from the BMGA also organised the Minigolf events at the Oswestry Games and said “I would like to thank the Organising Committee of the Oswestry Games for giving the British Minigolf Association the opportunity to bring our sport to the Games. The very warm welcome the BMGA, me and my fellow coaches and Putterfingers received from everyone in the town really was magnificent. The weekend was a milestone in UK Minigolf history as it was the very first time Minigolf has been included in a multi-sport event setting. I was happy to see so many people taking part in the Minigolf events and thank them all for giving the game a go.”

Richard added “My thanks go to Jon and Susie Hancock, and all at the Organising Committee of the Oswestry Games for their two-years of hard work bringing the Oslympics together and delivering a top class feast of sport. I would also like to thank Glenys Davies at Oswestry Town Council for allowing us to have the use of the town’s Miniature Golf course and to Pete and all the team at Cae Glas Park for getting the course in the best possible shape for the event. To see the pride the park staff have in their facilities was excellent and the service we received was brilliant. Without the help of Shelley Barrett and all at Putterfingers we would not have been able to deliver the events at the Closing Fun Day and their course proved incredibly popular and a real attraction. Last, but by no means least, I must thank all of the BMGA Minigolf players who travelled to Oswestry to take part and share their knowledge and experience as Minigolf Coaches, each one of them is a credit to the sport.”

Sean Homer, BMGA Chairman commented “Being a part of the Oswestry Games has been a great experience for the British Minigolf Association. This is the first time we have been involved in a multi-sport event such as this and it provided us with a really good opportunity to showcase Minigolf to a wider audience, many of which were encountering competitive minigolf in particular for the first time. I am sure that everyone taking part in the coaching sessions or the competitions over the weekend with the BMGA Great Britain players and coaches had a great time and as well as appreciating the skill and technique involved in playing, perhaps more importantly realised how much fun can be had on a Minigolf course.”

Shelley Barrett from Minigolf Course suppliers Putterfingers.co.uk said “Putterfingers.co.uk was pleased to support the British Minigolf Association in a fun filled day of sporting activities to celebrate the Oswestry Games. The minigolf coaching and demonstrations led to over 100 players varying in age and ability having a go on our portable minigolf course on a nice sunny afternoon. A top Pro score of 15 across our 9-hole modular layout was closely met by a 20 by one novice player on the day. A warm thanks to the BMGA for inviting us to participate in a fun and thoroughly enjoyable day!”

Minigolf Coach & BMGA Development Officer Marc Chapman said “A fantastic exhibition of minigolf put on by Richard, the BMGA and Putter Fingers at the Oswestry Games. Thoroughly enjoyable to take part in and real pleasure to be able to reach out to the public and show people what the sport of Minigolf is all about. My thanks to Richard for co-ordinating the event as part of the games and to the town of Oswestry for being so welcoming.”

Minigolf Coach John Moore, who had travelled from Newcastle, said "I really enjoyed being involved in the Oswestry Games. Everyone involved was so friendly, and I hope we will return for another competition in Cae Glas Park before too long."

Minigolf Coach Emily Gottfried from Luton said “The Oswestry Games was a fantastic event and I’m really happy that I was able to take part, as well as to come away with a couple of medals! The games, the park, the courses and the people in Oswestry were all very nice and welcoming and I enjoyed the whole weekend. The Minigolf tournaments were well organised and great fun, and it was nice to meet, advise and play Minigolf with local players and novices.”

With sport being a social activity as well as a competitive event the organisers of the Oswestry Games also held an Oslympics Open Quiz at Oswestry Cricket Club on Friday 13th July. The quiz, sponsored by Stonehouse Brewery, saw 14 teams take part, with the BMGA team of ‘Crazy Minigolfers’ making the podium with a bronze medal placing.

Organised by the Oswestry Sports Council, the Oswestry Games community sports event took place in and around Oswestry from the 6th to the 15th July 2012. Sports on offer at the Oswestry Games included Gymnastics, Clay Pigeon Shooting, Tennis, Martial Arts, Kayaking, Cross Country Running, Triathlon, Duathlon, Cycling, Golf, Cricket, Fencing, Football, Ten Pin Bowling, Athletics, Diving, Hockey, Boccia, Air Pistol & Air Rifle Target Shooting, Horse Riding, Strongest Man, Rounders, Minigolf, Climbing, Archery, Swimming, a 10k Race, a 2,012m Fun Run, Kempo Karate, Table Tennis, Mixed Martial Arts and Basketball. Other events were an Inter-Schools Book Relay, an Olympics Exhibition, a Photo Marathon, the Oswestry Food Festival, a Border Embroideries Exhibition, Music and Theatre Shows, and an 'Oslympics' Open Quiz. The Legacy Project of the Oswestry Games has seen a permanent Hall of Fame of the town’s sporting heroes established in the town’s Leisure Centre. For more information about the Oswestry Games please visit http://www.oswestrygames.co.uk

The British Minigolf Association (BMGA) is the governing body for Minigolf Sport, including Crazy Golf and Adventure Golf. Formed in 1998 the BMGA organises Minigolf events for its members across the UK. The BMGA Tour consists of Minigolf ranking events that take place at courses across the UK. In 2011 there were 22 Ranking BMGA Tour competitions and a total of 12 players lifted BMGA Tour titles in Open, Invitational, Club and Doubles events. For further details about the BMGA and UK Minigolf please email
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or visit http://www.minigolf.org.uk

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